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Marketing, Communications, & PR Workshop

Nov 19 8:30 AM - Nov 19, 2025 4:00 PM
Nov 19, 2025 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
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Description

Interested in hearing what the market experts have to say about messaging to your members, social media trends, and branding strategies? Join us for this November marketing event focused on the mission side of messaging and branding. You’ll also hear about AI and its effects on member experience, operations, and communications.

This workshop is open to any credit union role with a focus on member communications and sharing The Credit Union Difference.

Agenda

8:30am – 9:00am
Check-in, badge pick-up and lite breakfast bites

9:00am – 9:15am
Welcome

9:15am – 12:00pm
Aligning Marketing Strategies to Your Credit Union’s Mission and Story
Sam Plester, CEO, Mission Brands Consulting

Join Sam Plester of Mission Brands Consulting for this interactive workshop designed for credit union professionals. This session will utilize engaging discussions, hands-on activities, and real-world examples to illustrate best practices for communicating a credit union’s unique impact while fostering deeper connections with members and the broader community.

What You’ll Learn:

• Mission-Driven Storytelling: Share your credit union’s story in ways that resonate and inspire.
• Member Advocacy: Leverage authentic member experiences to amplify your brand.
• Purpose-Led Campaigns: Design campaigns that reflect your core values and deliver meaningful engagement.
• Actionable Strategies: You’ll walk away with actionable strategies to build brand trust and loyalty.

Explore strategies to highlight your institution’s differentiators—from financial inclusion programs and member-centric lending solutions to small business support—positioning your credit union as a trusted, purpose-driven financial partner.

12:00pm – 12:45pm
Lunch

12:45pm – 1:30pm
Facilitated Table Topic Conversations

1:30pm – 2:30pm
GenAI Took My Job and Made It Better 
 Heather Ristow, SVP/Chief Experience Officer, Corporate Central Credit Union
Orianna Valentine, Marketing Strategist, Corporate Central Credit Union 

In this session, Heather Ristow, Chief Experience Officer, and Orianna Valentine, Marketing Strategist at Corporate Central Credit Union, share how generative AI tools—especially Microsoft Copilot—have reshaped their approach to marketing and product strategy. From campaign planning and content creation, data analysis, competitive analysis, and onboarding strategies, they will share real-world examples of how GenAI enhances productivity, creativity, and strategic impact. Attendees will gain insights into practical use cases and the evolving role of AI in marketing and product development. Whether you are just starting your GenAI journey or looking to scale its impact, this session offers actionable takeaways, and plenty of inspiration for marketers and innovators at every level.  

2:30 – 4:00pm
Session details coming soon!


Additional Info

Speakers

Orianna Valentine

Marketing Strategist | Corporate Central Credit Union

Orianna Valentine, CCUFC, CDMP, aPCM®, CCM, is a Marketing Strategist at Corporate Central Credit Union, where she leads innovative campaigns that elevate member engagement and organizational visibility. Orianna’s journey into marketing began in the classroom—she spent years as a public-school art educator, inspiring thousands of students to explore their creative potential. Her transition from arts education to financial marketing reflects a deep commitment to creativity, communication, and community impact.  

Since joining Corporate Central in 2019 as a part-time intern, Orianna has rapidly advanced through multiple roles, earning national recognition for her leadership and strategic thinking. She holds multiple professional certifications in digital marketing and financial counseling and was recently honored with the Certified Credit Union Manager designation through the prestigious CUES Emerge program. Orianna brings a thoughtful, collaborative approach to her work and continues to explore how emerging technologies like GenAI can support meaningful connections and smarter marketing.

Heather Ristow

SVP / Chief Experience Officer | Corporate Central Credit Union

Heather rejoined Corporate Central in September 2023 as Senior Vice President / Chief Experience Officer. She has over 20 years of experience in banking and financial services including a previous role at Corporate Central as a Relationship Development Officer. 

As Senior Vice President / Chief Experience Officer, Heather creates an inviting member experience by ensuring excellence within the entire organization by managing the member journey, while helping shape the employee journey with exceptional quality products and services. She serves as a member ambassador, connecting the corporate with members, improving member relations, and contributing to business growth. She works closely with the leadership team to improve processes and systems/software utilization, while investigating and driving new technologies, new products, and new opportunities to bring to market. 

Heather’s background includes Senior Vice President of Marketing at Connexus Credit Union, Chief Operating Officer at Heritage Credit Union, and progressive experience in the credit union industry. 

Sam Plester

CEO| Mission Brands Consulting

Sam Plester, CUDE is the Founder/CEO of Mission Brands Consulting which focuses exclusively on delivering customized marketing, communications and engagement experiences for socially driven organizations in the financial services, FinTech, SaaS and non-profit spaces.

Sam has been in the credit union movement for over 10 years including Manager, Corporate Brand & Marketing at Trustage (formerly CUNA Mutual Group) and Marketing and Communications Director at National Credit Union Foundation. He founded Mission Brands Consulting in 2023 to be a true credit union marketing partner.

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Event Type

In-Person
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Fees

Early Bird - $249
Cutoff October 24

Regular - $279 

Location

Credit Union House - Madison
1 East Main Street, Suite 101 Madison, WI 53703